National Research Study Research Articles

Creating New Meanings and Understanding with Postcolonial Texts: Teaching Purple Hibiscus in a Grade 10 Classroom

This article invites readers to share the experiences of a teacher and his Grade 10 students as they read and discussed Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Nigerian novel Purple Hibiscus. The novel was selected as part of a national action research study in which literacy researchers and teachers select postcolonial literature for the classroom and develop new pedagogical strategies for teaching the texts. The article suggests that contemporary international novels such as Purple Hibiscus have potential to raise complex questions of social justice in the classroom and to create new understandings of a changing world.

Using perceived benefits to segment residential landscape irrigation users

Water scarcity has become an increasingly complex problem and urban residential landscapes represent a space where conservation practices can make an impact on this limited resource. Water conservation behavior change campaigns are hindered by a lack of understanding of the social dimensions surrounding residents' landscape decisions. To better understand this important audience, we conducted a quantitative national research study examining perceived benefits of the home landscape, landscape water conservation practices, and personal characteristics of home irrigation users. We used principal component analysis to create six dimensions of perceived urban landscape benefits: family, recreation and aesthetic; food and grocery; health and environment; social; monetary; and privacy. We used cluster analysis to divide respondents into three segments which we labelled high benefits/high conservation, moderate benefits/mixed conservation, and low benefits/low conservation. We found those who belonged to the high benefits/high conservation segment perceived the greatest benefits from their landscape/outdoor space and had the highest current and future water saving practices compared to the other groups. Conversely, those who belonged to the low benefits/low conservation segment had the lowest current and future water saving practices as compared to other groups. The presence of homeowners’ association rewards was related to greater likelihood of engaging in water conservation practices as the high benefits/high conservation segment had a greater possibility of receiving rewards compared to other two segments. Based on these findings, people who work on urban landscape issues could group their clientele into these segments to develop targeted strategies that can effectively influence water saving practices and behavior change among urban residents.

Strategic Cost Management for Sustained Growth-A Study of SME's in India Dr.

Indian economy is projected to develop as one of the top economies in the world and is expected to become a $ 5 trillion economy by 2025. In this context, it is good to note that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of India have been contributing significantly to the growth of Indian economy. It is said that SMEs contribute nearly 45% to the GDP of the economy. It is prudent to ask to what extent the SMEs can continue to contribute towards this projection because, it is reported that sustenance of SMEs has been a major source of concern for the last few years. According to the one of the surveys conducted by IFC, it is learnt that nearly 24% of SMEs close shop in two years of their inception and nearly 53% of them go out of the market totally in about four years for various reasons like poor cost management, bankruptcy and business loss. A report of a National Research Study (2013) opines that SMEs fail to survive on account of lack of competency in cost management and failure to forecast rising cost. Hence, managing the cost of their products or services in SMEs with a strategic focus becomes very important to respond to the challenging economic times faced by business today. The present paper is an attempt to discuss growth of SMEs in India, analyze the current cost management practices adopted by SMEs with specific emphasis on Strategic Cost Management (SCM) Practices adopted and how these practices impact their Business performance.

CHARACTERIZING THE ENGINEERING EDUCATION GRADUATE STUDENT EXPERIENCE IN CANADA: DESCRIPTIVES

Abstract – Four Canadian Engineering Education graduate students from the Universities of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Toronto, and Calgary are conducting a national mixed-methods research study to characterize the identity of graduate students studying engineering education in Canada. The first phase of this study comprised of the dissemination of a survey designed using McAlpine’s Identity-Trajectory framework to explore whom our engineering education graduate students are, how our graduate studies are manifest in this field, and how our academic identities are formed through the construction of our unique intellectual, institutional, and networking experiences. This paper presents select findings and descriptive analyses from these survey data. Findings show that participants in our study predominantly identify as female, come from engineering backgrounds, are over-stretched in terms of commitments, need better access to research funding and peer communities, actively present at conferences, and are sufficiently supported by their institutions and supervisors to feel that they can conduct quality research in engineering education. Noteworthy, is that the gender demographic in our study participants, which is predominantly female, is in contrast to the minority female demographic found in engineering graduate studies. Significantly, findings suggest that graduate students pursuing degrees in engineering education may be guided by a potentially unconscious positivistic approach to their research.

A qualitative exploration of veteran and family perspectives on medical foster homes

ABSTRACTSince 2008, the Veterans Health Administration Medical Foster Home (MFH) program has served as an alternative to nursing home care for Veterans. As part of a larger national research study, 55 in-person interviews with 62 Veterans and/or their families were conducted to identify reasons for selecting or declining MFH placement. Enrollment was attributed to: a need for increased care and a preference for highly individualized care oversight and family-oriented settings. Reasons for declining placement included: costs, location of MFHs, lack of readiness of family or Veteran to move, and level of confidence that MFHs would meet care needs. Experiences and perspectives regarding advantages and challenges of the MFH program are also described.

Is the U.S. education system ready for CS for all?

Insights from a recent Google-Gallup national research study seeking to better understand the context of K--12 CS education.

The Impact of Public Law 111-216: Perceptions of U.S. Collegiate Flight Students

This national research study is the second part of a three-part study examining the perceptions and effects of Public Law 111-216. Part one examined the perceptions of U.S. collegiate flight programs and part three will examine the perceptions of pilots employed with a part 121 U.S. air carrier operator. This research study examined the perceptions of United States collegiate flight students regarding the impact of Public Law 111-216 after its implementation to determine how Public Law 111-216 will affect collegiate flight students and the U.S. airline industry. This study was conducted to determine if a relationship exists between collegiate flight students’ perceptions of PL 111-216 and the possible effects it may have on collegiate flight students’ desires and ambitions to become U.S. commercial pilots and the U.S airline industry. The findings of this research study impact collegiate flight students, collegiate flight programs, and the U.S. airline industry. This research provides collegiate flight programs and the U.S. airline industry insight into flight students’ perceptions of PL 111-216. This insight may help forecast future trends in prospective enrollments and retention rates of current students in collegiate flight programs due to the significant increase of unanticipated flight costs. This study has the potential to also provide a vision of future pilot supply. The findings provide an avenue for collegiate flight programs and the U.S. airline industry to address possible areas of concerns as a result of PL 111-216 changes in pilot qualification standards.

Early Bilingual Education and Content and Language Integrated Learning Assessment in Primary Education: Assessment Beliefs, Knowledge and Practice in Portuguese State and Private Schools

Abstract Educational provisions, such as Early Bilingual Education (EBE) and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), where curriculum content is learnt, taught and assessed through the means of an additional language, are not yet widespread in general primary and secondary education in Portugal. Knowing how to assess in such provisions, which have a dual focus on the mastering of language proficiency and content knowledge and skills, can be intricate. The first step towards building a rationale for soundly assessing language and content at early primary level in Portuguese schools needs to first understand how teachers working in EBE and CLIL education settings view assessment and what they do with it in the classroom. This article analyses the research findings of a small scale national research study conducted in Portugal in 2013/2014 on EBE and CLIL assessment beliefs, knowledge and practice on the part of teachers working in a national pilot on early bilingual education – the Bilingual Schools Project teachers (BSPT) and teachers working in similar provisions in private schools – the Non-Bilingual Schools Project teachers (NBSPT).

Good practices according to WHO's recommendation for normal labor and birth and women's assessment of the care received: the "birth in Brazil" national research study, 2011/2012.

BackgroundThe World Health Organization recommends good practices for the conduct of uncomplicated labor and birth, with the aim of improving the quality of and assessment by women of childbirth care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between adoption of good practices according to WHO’s recommendation for normal labor and birth and assessment by women of the care received.MethodsBirth in Brazil is a national hospital-based study with countrywide representation consisting of 23,894 mothers and their newborns, conducted between February 2011 and October 2012. The present study analysed a subsample of this national survey. Postpartum women classified as low risk during pregnancy who had experienced either spontaneous or induced labor were included in this study, totalling 4102 mothers. To estimate the association between assessment by women of the childbirth care received (dependent variable) and good practices according to WHO’s recommendation during normal labor and birth (independent variables), a multinomial logistic regression analysis was used and crude and adjusted odds ratios calculated with their 95 % confidence intervals.ResultsThe good practices associated with positive assessment of the care received by women during labor and birth included the partner’s presence, privacy in the birthing place, time available to ask questions, clarity of information received, and empathic support from caregivers during labor and birth. Freedom of movement, free nutrition offered, choice of companions, nonpharmacological analgesia, skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding in the childbirth room were not associated with the assessment by women of the care received.ConclusionsOur findings reveal the importance to mothers of their relationship with the team of caregivers during labor and birth. Therefore, caregiver teams must be qualified within a more humanistic vision of childbirth health care.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12978-016-0233-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Factors associated with postpartum depressive symptomatology in Brazil: The Birth in Brazil National Research Study, 2011/2012

BackgroundDepression is one of the most common postpartum mental disorders. Many sociodemographic and individuals risk factors are associated with maternal depression but the impact of high levels of birth intervention is unclear. The Brazilian context is characterized by excessive intervention and frequent non-compliance with recommended obstetric protocols. This study therefore examined the impact of sociodemographic, individual, and obstetric risk factors in postpartum depression. MethodsThe Birth in Brazil research study is a national study of 23,894 postpartum women. Information about depression was obtained by telephone interview at 6–18 months after birth and was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. ResultsThe prevalence of probable cases of depression was 26.3%. A multiple logistic regression model identified significant sociodemographic and individual risk factors as: brown skin color (OR=1.15 CI 1.01–1.31), lower economic class (OR=1.70 CI 1.41–2.06), alcohol use (OR=1.41 CI 1.09–1.84) and a history of mental disorders (OR=3.13 CI 1.80–5.44). Significant obstetric factors were unplanned pregnancy (OR=1.22 CI 1.05–1.43 for wanted later and OR=1.38 CI 1.20–1.60 for never wanted), multiparity (OR=1.97 CI 1.58–2.47 for 3 or more children), and poor care during birth (OR=2.02 CI 1.28–3.20) or of the newborn (OR=2.16 CI 1.51–3.10). Obstetric interventions and complications were not associated with maternal depression. LimitationsDepression was measured only once so we are not able to examine the course over time. The associational and reverse causality cannot be ruled out for some variables. ConclusionsThe prevalence of postpartum depression is high in Brazilian women six months after birth. Poor care of women and babies during birth is more important in postpartum depression than physical obstetric or neonatal intervention and complications.

TRABALHO E SAÚDE: UM OLHAR SOBRE A INCIDÊNCIA DESSAS TEMÁTICAS NOS CURSOS DE ADMINISTRAÇÃO DE UNIVERSIDADES FEDERAIS BRASILEIRAS

Esta pesquisa objetivou verificar nos currículos dos cursos de graduação em Administração de Instituições Federais de Ensino Superior no Brasil a presença de conteúdos relacionados a trabalho e saúde, focados nas transformações do mundo do trabalho e nas vivências de prazer-sofrimento dos trabalhadores. Trata-se de uma pesquisa interdisciplinar de âmbito nacional, realizada em duas etapas: a primeira efetuada via internet junto aos sites das instituições e a segunda consistindo-se na aplicação de um instrumento com os professores dos cursos de Administração dessas Instituições. Os dados revelam que os alunos de Administração não estão preparados para lidarem com as implicações do dimensionamento da relação saúde e trabalho, conforme mostra o resultado da Escala Likert: muito preparados (1%), preparados (6%), razoavelmente preparados (32%), pouco preparados (50%) e nada preparados (10%). Os dados apontaram que os cursos de Administração abordam os conteúdos relacionados a trabalho e saúde ainda de forma limitada, pontual e dispersa. A pesquisa revelou que os cursos de Administração teriam a ganhar se dedicando mais à escuta das ciências humanas para a formação do administrador. Em linhas gerais, acredita-se que esta pesquisa contribuirá para a formação de futuros administradores menos alienados e mais preparados para lidar com as questões emblemáticas do mundo do trabalho e suscitará a discussão da necessidade de inserir e expandir, nos projetos pedagógicos, disciplinas direcionadas para desenvolver o olhar crítico dos novos gestores sobre as relações de trabalho na contemporaneidade.

Assistant teachers for pupils with special educational needs in the Czech Republic – presentation of selected particular research results

The profession of an assistant teacher (AT) deserves due attention in terms of methodological, personnel, legislative and professional discourse. The position of AT was established in the Czech Republic already in 2005; however, research and scientific findings providing relevant practical data (in the form of general research studies) are still missing. The paper presentsa concept of a national research study performed in February – March 2015 and particular results focusing on the description of sociodemographic distributions and selected aspects of labour-law relationships (and their attributes) in terms of the function of AT. The paper also includes an interpretative view of the results by means of suggested practical measures in the area of operation, competences and especially legislation.
 The research study used a quantity-based approach to investigate the research phenomena. The data collection method was a questionnaire of an own design, which was – regarding the number of ATs in the Czech Republic – administered in an electronic form. The data were then classified, analysed and statistically tested. This is the first communication of an extensive research report. It describes the initial domain of sociodemographic characteristics and the first research – labour-law aspects: employment contract, type of employment, length of employment, amount of remuneration and related aspects.

Secret Fatalities and Liminalities: Translating the Pre-Verbal Trauma and Cellular Memory of Late Discovery Adoptee Illegitimacy

Secret Fatalities and Liminalities: Translating the Pre-Verbal Trauma and Cellular Memory of Late Discovery Adoptee Illegitimacy

Articulating the strategies for maximising the inclusion of people with dementia in qualitative research studies

It is essential to understand the experience of living with dementia from the perspective of the person with dementia so that services can be appropriately constructed. This review paper, drawing on prior work, identifies key strategies for the meaningful inclusion of persons with dementia within qualitative research studies, it examines the articulation of these strategies and shares how these strategies were operationalised within one national research study in Ireland. Strategies within the literature were categorised and then synthesized into a guide consisting of four main areas; gaining COnsent, maximizing Responses, Telling the story, and Ending on a high (CORTE). The CORTE guideline was used to as a tool for analysing relevant research reports. CORTE is a synthesized account of grouped strategies that could be used to maximize the meaningful involvement of persons with dementia and can also provide a guide for reporting the strategies used so that researchers can learn from each other.

Regional systems of care demonstration project: Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems Accelerator: Design and methodology

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) systems of care have been associated with significant improvement in use and timeliness of reperfusion. Consequently, national guidelines recommend that each community should develop a regional STEMI care system. However, significant barriers continue to impede widespread establishment of regional STEMI care systems in the United States. We designed the Regional Systems of Care Demonstration Project: Mission: Lifeline STEMI Systems Accelerator, a national educational outcome research study in collaboration with the American Heart Association, to comprehensively accelerate the implementation of STEMI care systems in 17 major metropolitan regions encompassing >1,500 emergency medical service agencies and 450 hospitals across the United States. The goals of the program are to identify regional gaps, barriers, and inefficiencies in STEMI care and to devise strategies to implement proven recommendations to enhance the quality and consistency of care. The study interventions, facilitated by national faculty with expertise in regional STEMI system organization in partnership with American Heart Association representatives, draw upon specific resources with proven past effectiveness in augmenting regional organization. These include bringing together leading regional health care providers and institutions to establish common commitment to STEMI care improvement, developing consensus-based standardized protocols in accordance with national professional guidelines to address local needs, and collecting and regularly reviewing regional data to identify areas for improvement. Interventions focus on each component of the reperfusion process: the emergency medical service, the emergency department, the catheterization laboratory, and inter-hospital transfer. The impact of regionalization of STEMI care on clinical outcomes will be evaluated.

A Survey of the Experiences of African Librarians in American Academic Libraries

A national research study was undertaken to identify and clarify issues related to the employment in academic settings of African librarians who have relocated to the United States. It examined, by means of a survey, employment issues concerned with education, credentialing, language skills and cultural bias from the perspective of those librarians and concluded with a recommendation regarding the manner in which their skills might be utilized for the benefit of their homelands.

Analyzing the Factors Contributing to the Establishment of Thailand as a Hub for Regional Operating Headquarters

In June 2010, the Thai government proposed improved investment tax incentive schemes to attract more foreign companies to establish Regional Operating Headquarters (ROH) in Thailand. The major theme of incentive packages has historically been the waiving of income tax on ROHs locating in the Kingdom. In the wake of recent political crises, these tax benefits are considered as important measures in reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as an important manufacturing and service hub for the ASEAN region. While investor confidence was wavering because of the unstable political environment that has appertained since 2006, investors are weighing business continuity and safety concerns against the provided and proposed incentives. This paper briefly compares the original ROH tax incentives from 2002 with the new ones, examines the factors contributing to the establishment of Thailand as a hub for ROHs and analyzes the competitiveness of Thailand in comparison with Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia in the context of national competitiveness for establishing ROH. National competitiveness is measured by using the Double Diamond-based nine factor model (IPS Model) from the IPS national competitiveness research study.

Buffering boys and boosting girls: The protective and promotive effects of Early Head Start for children's expressive language in the context of parenting stress

Children's characteristics, including gender, influence their development by eliciting differential responses from their environments, and by influencing differential responses to their environments. Parenting-related stress, associated with poverty environments, negatively influences children's language, likely through its impact on parent-child interactions, but may impact boys' and girls' development differently. Early intervention represents one tool for supporting development in at-risk toddlers, but gender-differences in effects of intervention are rarely described. The current studies assessed the effects of Early Head Start (EHS) on children's productive vocabulary in the context of parenting stress and examined gender differences in program effects on vocbulary. Data were from the national EHS Research and Evaluation (EHSRE) study (Study 1, N = 3,001), and from a dataset associated with one EHSRE site (Study 2, N = 146) where additional data on productive vocabulary were collected. Study 1 found that at 24 months of age, the EHS program protected girls' productive vocabulary from the negative effects of parenting stress, but had little impact on boys' vocabulary. In Study 2, the local EHS site promoted girls' vocabulary development over time from 14 to 36 months despite the negative effects of parenting stress, and protected boys' vocabulary from the negative parenting stress effects. These results suggest differential ways in which at-risk toddlers are affected by early intervention.

Workforce development: using role delineation research findings for policy-making and professional practice

For the health education profession in the United States, role delineation research has been ongoing to identify valid professional competencies as the basis for workforce development. During 1998-2004, a multi-phase national research study, the National Health Educator Competencies Update Project (CUP), was designed to re-verify the role of the entry-level health educator, and further define and verify the role of advanced level health educators. The CUP findings are the evidence that has influenced the professional preparation, credentialing, and professional development of health educators. The lessons learned include the importance of employing role delineation research with a discipline-specific representative sample to appropriately affect workforce development and sustainability through an empirically-based model.

Preparation Of Future School Leaders

An Educational Leadership program in the Mississippi Delta region has been recognized as one of the top eight programs in the country by an exhaustive national research study conducted by Stanford University.